Clothes-wbiitgee



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

EZARIAH SPALDING, OF MORRISVILLE, VERMONT.

CLOTHES-WRINGER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 32,090, dated April 16, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EZARIAH SPALDING, of Morrisville, in the county of Lamoille and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clothes-Wringers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to that form of clothes wringers which are composed in part of rollers through which the clothes after being washed are passed for the purpose of having the water pressed out of them previous to their being spread out to dry. The machine is to be attached to the wash tub in any of the usual methods used for that purpose.

Figure l, is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2, is an elevation of the same,

as seen from its rear side. Fig. 3, is a vertical section of the same along the line o, fo, of Fig. .2.

a, a, are rollers between which the clothes are passed, to each of which a crank may be attached for the purpose of operating them.

b, is a spout extending over the wash tub so as to prevent `any of the water from being spilled.

c, is 'a treadle to be operated by the foot for the purpose of regulating the pressure of the rollers upon each other at will, as shown hereinafter.

d, el, are slides fixed in opposite sides of the machine. The bearings of the upper roller are fixed in these slides respectively. At its lower extremity, each of these slides has a slot e, e, to receive a stud projecting outward from the lower end of a piece of metal f, This piece of metal is perforated with several holes o, o, o, arranged in pairs on opposite sides. Into any of these holes, the pins p, p, which are firmly set in the corresponding slides are made to penetrate for the purpose of adjusting the distances between the rollers a, a. The pieces of metal f, f, are only attached to the respective slides, by these pins and by the studs which work in the slots e, e. Each of these metal pieces f, f, is arranged with an arm z', z', having a cross head which is furnished with a guide hole to receive the opposite arm. Between these cross-heads and surrounding both these arms, is the spiral spring s, intended forleeping the arms pressed firmly outward against the slides el, cl, so that these metal pieces shall remain immovably fixed upon these slides by means of the pins and studs above mentioned except when it is desired to adjust them in the manner hereinafter described.

m, m, are two arms, each of which is attached to the side of the machine by means of a screw or pin placed at its lower extremity. They are pressed outward by means of the coiled springs n, n, and t-hus held firmly attached to the side. The treadle is attached to the metal pieces f, 7C, at the fulcrum r, r. The short end of the lever thus formed and which projects beyond the fulcrum is attached to the upper end of the arms m, m, by toggle joints at t, t.

When it is desirable to change the distance between the rollers, the metal pieces f, f, are pressed inward to release them from the hold of the pins j?, jo, when they may be either raised or lowered along the slides till they reach a hole at the proper point. The spiral spring is then left to operate, which immediately presses them outward against the slides. j

w, is a cord showing one method in which the tops of these pieces may be drawn together by being pulled by the hand of the operator. Other modes of effecting the same object will readily suggest themselves to any mechanic.

It is evident that instead of adjusting the machine by means of the series of holes o, o, o, in the metal pieces f f such adjustment may be made by means of a similar series of holes made at the lower end of the arms m m into corresponding pairs of which the pins which attach those arms to the sides of the machine may be shifted from one to the other by means substantially like those above described. It is also evident that the sides el may be pressed downward by .means of springs to aid the effect of the treadle or to dispense with its use altogether; or springs may be used for the purpose of raising those slides upward whenever the pressure upon the treadle is released.

I am aware that rollers made of wood or covered with india rubber or other elastic substance have long been in use for this and other analogous uses and that a treadle has 2. The combination of the metal pieces f, 10l

f, with the slots e, e, and spring s, constructed and operatlng 111 the manner and for the purpose above shown.

EZARIAH SPALDING.

lVtnesses:

A. C. BOARDMAN, O. C. HAZEN. 

